American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 153, No. 12 : 1142-1147
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
Serum Carotenoids and Breast Cancer
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY.
2 Kaplan Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY.
3 Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY.
4 Unit of Nutrition and Cancer, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
The consumption of vegetables and fruit may protect against many types of cancer, but research evidence is not compelling for breast cancer. Carotenoids are pigments that are present in most plants and have known antioxidant properties. Blood concentrations of carotenoids have been proposed as integrated biochemical markers of vegetable, fruit, and synthetic supplements consumed. In a case-control study (270 cases, 270 controls) nested within a cohort in New York during 1985–1994, the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, ß-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, 
-carotene, and ß-carotene were measured in archived serum samples using liquid chromatography. There was an evident increase in the risk of breast cancer for decreasing ß-carotene, lutein, -carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. The risk of breast cancer approximately doubled among subjects with blood levels of ß-carotene at the lowest quartile, as compared with those at the highest quartile (odds ratio = 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29, 3.79). The risk associated with the other carotenoids was similar, varying between 2.08 (95% CI: 1.11, 3.90) for lutein and 1.68 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.86) for ß-cryptoxanthin. The odds ratio for the lower quartile of total carotenoids was 2.31 (95% CI: 1.35, 3.96). These observations offer evidence that a low intake of carotenoids, through poor diet and/or lack of vitamin supplementation, may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer and may have public health relevance for people with markedly low intakes.
breast neoplasms; carotenoids; case-control studies; cohort studies; diet; nutrition; risk factors; vitamin A
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
Related articles in Am. J. Epidemiol.:
- Invited Commentary: Serum Carotenoids and Breast Cancer
- Thomas E. Rohan
Am. J. Epidemiol. 2001 153: 1148-1150.[Extract] [FREE Full Text] - Toniolo and Akhmedkhanov Respond to "Serum Carotenoids and Breast Cancer" by Rohan
- Paolo Toniolo and Arslan Akhmedkhanov
Am. J. Epidemiol. 2001 153: 1151.[Extract] [FREE Full Text]
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  Y. Cui, J. M Shikany, S. Liu, Y. Shagufta, and T. E Rohan Selected antioxidants and risk of hormone receptor-defined invasive breast cancers among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2008; 87(4): 1009 - 1018. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. J. Kavanaugh, P. R. Trumbo, and K. C. Ellwood The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Evidence-Based Review for Qualified Health Claims: Tomatoes, Lycopene, and Cancer J Natl Cancer Inst, July 18, 2007; 99(14): 1074 - 1085. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Z. Djuric, G. Chen, J. Ren, R. Venkatramanamoorthy, C. Y. Covington, O. Kucuk, and L. K. Heilbrun Effects of High Fruit-Vegetable and/or Low-Fat Intervention on Breast Nipple Aspirate Fluid Micronutrient Levels Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., July 1, 2007; 16(7): 1393 - 1399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. L. Neuhouser The long and winding road of diet and breast cancer prevention. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., October 1, 2006; 15(10): 1755 - 1756. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. P. Pierce, L. Natarajan, S. Sun, W. Al-Delaimy, S. W. Flatt, S. Kealey, C. L. Rock, C. A. Thomson, V. A. Newman, C. Ritenbaugh, et al. Increases in Plasma Carotenoid Concentrations in Response to a Major Dietary Change in the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., October 1, 2006; 15(10): 1886 - 1892. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Z. Djuric, J. Ren, O. Mekhovich, R. Venkatranamoorthy, and L. K. Heilbrun Effects of High Fruit-Vegetable and/or Low-Fat Intervention on Plasma Micronutrient Levels J. Am. Coll. Nutr., June 1, 2006; 25(3): 178 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Natarajan, S. W. Flatt, X. Sun, A. C. Gamst, J. M. Major, C. L. Rock, W. Al-Delaimy, C. A. Thomson, V. A. Newman, J. P. Pierce, et al. Validity and Systematic Error in Measuring Carotenoid Consumption with Dietary Self-report Instruments Am. J. Epidemiol., April 15, 2006; 163(8): 770 - 778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. D. Sesso, J. E. Buring, S. M. Zhang, E. P. Norkus, and J. M. Gaziano Dietary and Plasma Lycopene and the Risk of Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2005; 14(5): 1074 - 1081. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. M. Tamimi, S. E. Hankinson, H. Campos, D. Spiegelman, S. Zhang, G. A. Colditz, W. C. Willett, and D. J. Hunter Plasma Carotenoids, Retinol, and Tocopherols and Risk of Breast Cancer Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2005; 161(2): 153 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L Hilakivi-Clarke, C Wang, M Kalil, R Riggins, and R G Pestell Nutritional modulation of the cell cycle and breast cancer Endocr. Relat. Cancer, December 1, 2004; 11(4): 603 - 622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. Ribaya-Mercado and J. B. Blumberg Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Potential Roles in Disease Prevention J. Am. Coll. Nutr., December 1, 2004; 23(suppl_6): 567S - 587S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. M. Clifton, M. Noakes, D. Ross, A. Fassoulakis, M. Cehun, and P. Nestel High dietary intake of phytosterol esters decreases carotenoids and increases plasma plant sterol levels with no additional cholesterol lowering J. Lipid Res., August 1, 2004; 45(8): 1493 - 1499. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. J. Baer, S. J. Schnitt, J. L. Connolly, C. Byrne, E. Cho, W. C. Willett, and G. A. Colditz Adolescent Diet and Incidence of Proliferative Benign Breast Disease Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2003; 12(11): 1159 - 1167. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. P. Earnest, K. A. Wood, and T. S. Church Complex Multivitamin Supplementation Improves Homocysteine and Resistance to LDL-C Oxidation J. Am. Coll. Nutr., October 1, 2003; 22(5): 400 - 407. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Terry, M. Jain, A. B Miller, G. R Howe, and T. E Rohan Dietary carotenoids and risk of breast cancer Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2002; 76(4): 883 - 888. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. M. Fairfield and R. H. Fletcher Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults: Scientific Review JAMA, June 19, 2002; 287(23): 3116 - 3126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Sato, K. J. Helzlsouer, A. J. Alberg, S. C. Hoffman, E. P. Norkus, and G. W. Comstock Prospective Study of Carotenoids, Tocopherols, and Retinoid Concentrations and the Risk of Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2002; 11(5): 451 - 457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. A. Mares-Perlman, A. E. Millen, T. L. Ficek, and S. E. Hankinson The Body of Evidence to Support a Protective Role for Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Delaying Chronic Disease. Overview J. Nutr., March 1, 2002; 132(3): 518S - 524. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Ching, D. Ingram, R. Hahnel, J. Beilby, and E. Rossi Serum Levels of Micronutrients, Antioxidants and Total Antioxidant Status Predict Risk of Breast Cancer in a Case Control Study J. Nutr., February 1, 2002; 132(2): 303 - 306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. E. Rohan Invited Commentary: Serum Carotenoids and Breast Cancer Am. J. Epidemiol., June 15, 2001; 153(12): 1148 - 1150. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Toniolo and A. Akhmedkhanov Toniolo and Akhmedkhanov Respond to "Serum Carotenoids and Breast Cancer" by Rohan Am. J. Epidemiol., June 15, 2001; 153(12): 1151 - 1151. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|